Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds - Mbube (ORIGINAL VERSION OF WIMOWEH)

[Aidinovic]

2:20 History is written/sung : )

[Nidh0ggNagar]

To think that this was recorded in 1939. Now it's 2012 and I'm 24 and get chills when I hear this song. I will play this song for my children. Such a simple tune that transcends generations. This is why I love folk music and think they had it right back in the day. Love this thanks for the upload.

[theideaclub]

Another amazing piece of intellectual property that ended up feeding the greedy and not the needy!

[GooglFascists]

This is the version that raises chill bumps on you since

it is straight from Africa. Fantastic!

[theeHeisenberg]

psh yeah I liked "the lion sleeps tonight" aka "mbube" back before it was cool to like it, and DEF before it went all commercial.

- what a hipster would say

[mrmagicwaffles]

That was just magical.

[HEARTHEANGELSVOICES]

I USED TO HAVE THIS RECORD. I WONDER WHAT IT WOULD BE WORTH TODAY.

[TheJenBong]

@HEARTHEANGELSVOICES Don't sell it!

[HEARTHEANGELSVOICES]

@TheJenBong - THAT WOULD BE IN THE PAST TENSE !

[quantaresources]

By the way thanks a lot for helping me realize how ignorant I am about so many corporate bullshit

[quantaresources]

Shaka Zulu the Lion against an empire....not dead but sleeping....interesting note

[Chevalier372]

I agree with what Patrick Bateman said in "American Psycho" about the Genesis version of "You Can't Hurry Love" being better than the Supremes' original recording. The same principle applies here. Just like CCR did the best job on "Midnight Special." And as much as I detest Eminem, he is considered by many to be the world's leading rapper (but I don't know how that can be quantified). Perhaps all this has to do with taking songs into the embrace of the Western music tradition.

[thecountofbasie]

@Chevalier372 Personally I think CCR did the best job on "I Put A Spell On You"...but nothing to quibble about...good points...thanks for commenting

[therealjoebloggs]

@Chevalier372 There's a scene in the film The Seven Little Foys starring Bob Hope, in which Bob and a cameo-appearing James Cagney do the same song and dance number, "cuttin' heads": Bob says, "I did it first!" and James Cagney says, "I did it right!" Anyone who wants to say Linda did it first but the Tokens did it right is entitled to their opinion. What cannot be denied, though the record companies tried, is that no"Mbube," no TLST. Mbube is what it is, African "doo wop," if you will.

[plopnod]

@Chevalier372 Subjectiveness plays a part as well

[titmouse0hehehe]

@Chevalier372 The Supremes were an American group: "Midnight Special" is an American folk song: rap is an American musical form: America is a western country. All of these songs were part of the "Western music tradition" in their original forms. It sounds like what you're saying is, "These songs need white people to make them sound good." Genesis sucks.

[diddymuck]

translation?

[apexwiddy]

I wonder about the hearing problem of the one guy who disliked this track. Man this is even better than I've been told.

The Tokens version was one of my favorite tunes on the radio back in the 60's. But man this version here comes across pure, authentic, resonating with reality. The great version by the Tokens is a cleaned up edges straightened cardboard cutout smooth easy to like version of this. But you know right off this here is the real thing.

[moochiebpaul]

@93MickyD1 don't these guy back Paul Simon now?

[S5ate99lit3e]

@93MickyD1 I think it's beautiful..soulful and ancient. with lyrics seeped in cultural value and meaning. I truly think it is beautiful.

[thecountofbasie]

@93MickyD1 It's a folk song, for one thing...lots of American folk music is equally, let's say, erratic, and not particularly easy to listen to. What I'd take from most of the comments here is that what is "great" is being able to at least hear the original recording...I personally have always welcomed negative comments on my posts...it's called free expression...which I guess is also what Linda and the group were doing when they recorded it....thanks for your honest comments

[xylfox]

Solomon Linda was betraYed and robbed of millions dollar.

[thecountofbasie]

@xylfox Might have slipped and hit thumbs down...meant just the opposite...would take it you mean royalties, unless there was something else (nowhere on the Tokens' record does Linda get composer credit, of course)

[truthilarity]

God, I destroyed the replay button on this thing. There's so much SOUL. It excites passions within me that I can't explain. Thank you internet for bringing this gem to the world!

[caemith]

love! i've been looking for an mp3 of this song for forever (maybe not, but for a long time). all i've found is a listing for the album on vinyl. do you know how i can get an mp3 of this song? thanks!

[thecountofbasie]

@caemith I didn't get it from there, but I searched Amazon for an mp3 download of "Mbube," and there it was...hope it helps

[chadtyler30]

@caemith:

try this site: beemp3.com.

[maratheblackwarrior]

WAW! This is what I was looking for..."The Real Thing"

I feel like flying man, its like taking all bad from my soul.

[screwyou]

This is not the "basis" for the Tokens' song.  It is the same song. :)

[dirtycomment]

@screwyou i think the absence of english lyrics, explicitly detailing a sleeping lion, makes this the basis. considering this came first.

[MrHokeykokey]

Wow! That was amazing! So soulful.

I listened to the Tokens' (excellent) version last night, then wikipedia'd it and read about Solomon Linda, but I never thought his original version would be available on here! This is the sort of thing that the internet was invented for, even 15 years ago I would've probably had no hope of ever hearing this version unless I tracked it down in an old record shop. Thanks for uploading it! B-)

[TwoTube2]

@MrHokeykokey Yes! The internet means it's so much easier to access beautiful art like this :)

[kikwetu1000]

beautiful original of an alltime african classic

[lazzotte]

the end results of this beautiful song is sad

[brezzer420]

praise JAH RASTAFARI "Uyimbube", Zulu: You are a lion. HIM a de lion

[Aeolon92]

Found this song from "1001 Songs you must listen to before you die" I'm on a quest to listen to three a day... I never fathomed I'd listen to such awesome music! Thanks for sharing!

[MrHokeykokey]

@Aeolon92

Thanks for mentioning this list, I'm gonna be a three a day man aswell now! :D

[Vadawolf]

Finding this made my day, thanks for posting it!

[Dukeoftruth]

beautiful

[vancanman2]

With all the fluff on You Tube, it sure is nice to stumble upon something this nice.  Thank you for sharing this.

[thecountofbasie]

@vancanman2 Some of the fluff isn't too bad, really...thanks for the appreciation...

[shandamoon]

Awesome.  Just awesome.